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Malin Åkerström

Malin Åkerström

Professor emerita

Malin Åkerström

Waiting: A Source of Hostile Interaction in an Emergency Clinic

Author

  • Malin Åkerström

Summary, in English

In a study of a Swedish emergency clinic, it was found that patients' waiting produced different forms of hostile interaction between staff members and patients. A patient's hostility was interpreted as being not only a result of waiting per se but also-and predominantly-due to some features inherent in the relevant situation: the semiotics of space and the organization of waiting. Emotional and interactional responses to patient hostility included invoking counter moralities, adopting a certain style of interaction, and performing minor acts of revenge. The former are analyzed as expressions of veiled hostility, whereas descriptions of acts of revenge indicate the moral boundaries of proper nursing work. In such work, hostile expressivity is characteristically restrained and resentment must be veiled; consequently, Scheler's analysis of ressentiment is applied.

Department/s

  • Sociology

Publishing year

1997

Language

English

Pages

504-520

Publication/Series

Qualitative Health Research

Volume

7

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy

Keywords

  • patients
  • waiting
  • sociology
  • hostile interaction
  • staff
  • sociologi

Status

Published

Research group

  • Kriminal- och socialvetenskapligt nätverk

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1049-7323